Joseph van



July 31, 1928.

1,678,803 J. VAN ACKEREN COKING RETORT OVEN Filed May 16, 1921 6 Sheets-Sheet l July 31, 1928.

J. VAN ACKE'REN coxme RETORT OVEN 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 I SECTION SECTION B.---------- ---Bv I "Y July 31, 1928.

J. VAN ACKEREN COKING RETORT OVEN 6 Sheets-$heet 4 J. VAN ACKEREN COKING RETORT OVEN Filed May 16. 1921 July 31, 1928.

July 31, 1928.

J. VAN ACKEREN COKING RETORT OVEN kokuwb Patented July 31, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFlQii.

JOSEPH VAN ACKEREN, OF FITTSB'LTRGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE KOPIERS COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PEKNSYLVANIfa, A COREORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

COKING BETORT OVEN.

Application filed. May 16,

This invention contemplates improvements of general utility in the coking retort oven art, and also comprehends certain improve ments especially applicable to coking retort 6 ovens of the well-known crossregenerative type exemplified in. the patent to H. Koppers, No. 818,033, dated April 17, 1906.

The invention has for objects to provide a regenerative coking retort oven having, as important characteristics: the optional employment, preferably in a combination oven, of the gas oven principle in combination with a flame or combustion flue construr'tion in the heating walls, providing in each heating wall inflow-operating or burning fiues which al ternate with the downfiow-operating flues, the direction of flow and the combustion in the fines being interchangeably reversed at each reversal of the retort oven and the flues, when operating for inflow or combustion. being communicably connected. with regenerators for supplying to said fines air and an extraneously derived gas, such as producer gas, thereby conserving the entire product of the relativelv richer coke oven gas derived from the real carbonizing process carried on in the retort chambers; and, as a feature that may be secured by the above improvements, the practical elimination of the horizontal or bus flues at the top of the flame flues, an important structural advantage for the reason that it enables a considerable thickening and strengthening of the walls of the oven structure in the upper region of the oven. Moreover, the novel system of flow through the fines and the communicably connected regenerators, permits flame to be maintained concurrently from end to end of each heating wall of an oven fired with an extraneously derived gas, with the result that uniformity of temperature is promoted, and the charges of coal in the several coking chambers are subjerted on both sides and constantly throughout their entire extent to the high temperatures of burning flames, and no retardation of the carbonizing process results from reversal in flow through the regenerators. By the invention, the efficiency of a coking retort oven is greatly promoted, notwithstanding the fuel employed; the carbonizing process is carried on more evenly, with greater facility and in a shorter time than has been heretofore possible; and temperature fluctuations throughout the flue systcm are greatly reduced.

1921. Serial no. tease-i.

In addition to the general objects recited above, the invention contemplates anovel regenerator construction a system of flow therethrough and through the tines, promotinn; uniformity of distribution, and has for other objects such other improvements or ad vantages in construction and operation as are found to obtain in the structures and devices hereinafter described or claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and showing, for purposes of exemplitication, a preferred form and manner in which the invention may be mbodied and practiced, but without limiting the claimed. invention to such illustrative in stance or instances:

Figure l, is a crosswise vertical section through a coke oven battery embodying features above specified and equipped with the improvements of the present invention, the view being taken longitudinally through a heating wall and regenerators, in planes indicated by the line A Aof Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a composite vertical sectional elevation taken longitudinally of a coke oven battery, in planes indicatedv by the lines B-B and C-C of Fig; 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal. section through the regenerator construction, taken in planes indicated by the line D-D of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4: is a horizontal section through the heating walls. taken in a plane indicated by the line EE of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section of the upper regiono't a heating wall and the top of a battery taken in a plane indicated by the line FF of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken in planes indicated by the line GG of Fig. 5;

7 is a horizontal section taken in a plane indicated by the line H-H of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a crosswise vertical section through a heating wall and regenerators, in. planes indicated by the line K-K of Fig. 9, the view illustrating'a modified form of re generator construction;

Fig. 9 is a composite vertical sectional eleva on taken longitudinally of the coke oven battery illustrated in Fig. 8, in planes inclicated' by the lines LL, M- M, NN, and P-P of Fig. 8; and,

Fig. 10 is a horizontal section through the regenerator construction. taken in a plane indicated by the line 11 R of Fig. 9.

The same characters of reference indicate the same parts in each of the several views of the drawings.

In both embodiments of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the invention is incorporated in a combination coke oven battery, i. e.,a battery having provision for being operated either with producer as the fuel, or with coke oven gas, such as is utilized in ordinary coke ovens. For con-- venience, the present description will be confined to the present. illustrated embodiment of the invention in such a combination oven battery; features and improvements made by the invention are, however, capable of other applications, such for example, as ordinary so-called gas ovens employing producer gas as the fuel, and certain features of the invention are also capable of application in ordinary so-called coke ovens employing colie oven gas as the fuel; hence, the scope of the invention is not confined to the specific use and specific embodiments herein described as illustrative examples.

Referring to the drawings, and more especially to Figs. to 7 inclusive: there are illustrated views of a coke oven battery or plant of the by-product type, having features above specified; said oven battery em bodies in its construction a plurality of crosswise elongated heating walls 11, 11 anal a plurality of intermediate crosswise elongated vertical coking chambers 12, 12. The heating walls 11 form the side Walls of the respective coking chambers 12, as shown more particularly in Fig. 2 and, in the present instance, the heating Walls and the coking chambers are supported by the heavy supporting walls 13, 13 which extend crosswise of the battery and are located, as shown in Fig. 2, below the superstructure of the battery. These pillar walls, collectively form the main support for the entire superstructure of the oven battery and are themselves supported upon a fiat mat or platform which constitutes the subfoundation on which the entire battery rests.

The coal to be coked is to be charged into the several coking chambers or ovens through charging holes, indicated by dotted lines at 14 and located in the top 15 of'the oven battery and positioned directly above the ovens or chambers 12, as shown in Fig. 2. These charging holes 14 are equipped with the usual removable covers, which are removed during charging of the individual ovens or coking chambers and are placed in position to close the tops of such coking chambers during the entire coking or distilling operation. The gases of distillation pass from the tops of the several coking chambers 12 through the usual gas outlets (not shown) and thence through ascension pipes (not shown) into the usual gas collecting main which carries the distillation products to the by-product recovery apparatus.

Heat for col several ovens o.

rom the heath I the charges of coal in the c aiz'ibers 12 is developed ails 11, which as abot e extend crosswise of the battery of the coking chambers. Re-

icularly to Figs. 1, 1g wall 11 is constituted lame or combustion flues ime fines of each heating wall dance with the invention, operinto two series G and H, the series G alternating, as 7 j. 1, with the fines of the series ues of each series operate con- 13 direction while, at the fiues of the other series of the same heating; wall operate concurrently for flow in the te direction. That is .uning all the flues of the series G C: same time, all the are opei ing for inflow or combustion, the alternate r flues of the sen s H are collecparticularly in FY the is, as shown more 5, 6 and 7 communicably connected v 1 adjacent flue of the seri E If, by me s of a duct 18 connecting together the upper (ls of the said two fines. Thus the flu G are r pective l" connec" *s of the scris H of each her pcment providing communicab rued pairs of inflow and outflow operat flu The flow through each pair of flues may be r brick l9 movable i?- transversely a 18 and back one side of th i 1.9 may be retraoet chamber 21 or f"-,(ll",,l'l"\. the openi. "provided i late the flow between 1b which respectiveiv o: H. The slidii through acce" top of the heati e'v ll with the i .e brick orresponding less across duct to reeutwo con ted fines. ies G and nd from the. in alte 'iate e sop of the flu of h i:-

waa. to so extending l in alternate lines G of the, of the battery s 22 and heating f other he are access,

fill

of access flues afford means of access to the ports and nozzles in the bottom of such tlues.

The crosswise regenerators of the retort oven or battery are located at a lower level than the aforesaid heating walls 11 and col:- ing chambers 12, and, in the present instance, extend in parallelism between the pill r walls 13. Locatee in the middle lengthwise vertical plane of the coke oven. battery, is a vertical partition 2%, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, which partition extends all the way up from the .mat of the battery, to the bottom of the overlying coking chamber and from one to the other of the pillar walls 13. The regenerators, which are respectively located on opposite sides of the battery extend in wardly to said partition 2 and are sepi rated thereby as clearly shown in 1 and This arrangement permits control from opposite sides of the battery of the flow through the regenerators, thereby assisting the novel flue arrangement in promoting uniformity of distribution.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive, the regenerative system embodies two series of regenerators and 26, both series of such regene 'ators being located on opposite sides of the aforesaid central partition. The regenerators of the series 25 are disposed in alternation, on each side of the battery, with the regenerators of the series 26 and are, as shown in F ig. 2, operatively disposed into two groups K and L, the regenerators 25 of the group K alternating with the regenerators of the group L, and all the regenerators of each group operating concurrently for flow in the same direction, while all the regeneratm's of the other group operate concurrently for flow in the opposite direction. In the present instance, when operating with an extraneously derived gas as the fuel, the re generators 25 of one group, such as K. serve as inflow fuel gas regenerators, while the regenerators of the other group, such as L, serve as outflow waste heat regenerators. On reversal of the battery, the regenerators of the group L become inflow fuel gas regenerators and concurrently the regenerators of the group K become outflow waste leat regenerators.

Each regenerator 25 is a chamber contairing open brickwork, commonly called checlc erwork, and indicated at 27 with a distributing sole channel. 28 underneath such checker- Work, the channels forming the soles of such chambers and opening up into the checkerwork.

The regenerators 26, which, as hereinabove stated alternate with the regenerators 25 and are separated therefrom by means of the pillar walls 13 comprises series of regenerators individual to the several flues 17 of both groups G and H of each pillar wall. There is a series of such regenorators 26 arranged between each pair of adjacent regenerators 25 and extending from opposite sides of the battery to the central partition 24;, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The inclividual regenerators of the series 25 are separated from each other by gas tightpartition walls 29 that connect the pillar walls which form the side Walls of said regenerators, and the series 26 of regenerators on each side of the aforesaid partition 2l and companion to each heating wall 11 is operatively disposed into two groups of regenerators M and N. The regenerators of the group N alternate with the regenerators of the group M and, as shown in Fig. 1, flow is maintained concurrently in the same direction in all of the regenerators of the group M, while being maintained concurrently in the opposite direction in all the regenerators of the group N. WVhen the several regenerators of the group M operate as inflow regenerators, the several regenerators of the group N operate as outflow regenerators, the direction of flow in the two groups being interchangeably reversed at each. reversal of the battery. Assuming that thregenerators of the group M are operating for inflow, these regenerators are utilized to preheat the air required for combustion in the inflow operating flues with which they are connected, while concurrently the regenerators of the group N are being utilized as outflow waste heat regenerators. On reversal the waste heat regenerators N become air regenerators and the air regenerators M become waste heat regene'rators.

Extending below each series of regenerators 26, from the opposite sides of the battery to the central partition 24 is a pair of sole channels 30 and 31, the sole channels of each pair being separated from each other by partitions 32 which extend in parallelism with them. Located at the bottoms of the several rcgenerators of the series 26 and forming the tops of the sole channels 30 and 31 are horizontal partitions 33, which extend in parallelism with said sole channels 30 and 31. The regenerators of the groups M communicate with the sole channels 30 only by ports 34 in the partitions 33; similarly the several regenerators of the groups N communicate only with their respective sole channels 31 by ports 35 in said horizontal partitions 33. This construction entirely separates the flow in the groups M of regenerators from the flow in the groups N, and yet provides flow channels which communicably connect all the regenerators of each group with the flow regulating mechanism at the opposite sides of the battery. When regenerators of the groups M are operating as air regenerators their sole channels 30 supply the incoming air from the outside of the battery, while the sole channels 31 of the outflow operating regenerators of the groups N are operating to conx' ey the waste gases to the exhaust tunnel. As is the case with the other reg-generators of the regenerative system of the battc y, each regenerator 26 is a chamber containing open brickwork, such as the Cl'lQCliG'i'WOllC indicated at 36.

The several 'regenerators and 26 of the regenerative system are heated, in alternation, by the hot combustion products that draw off from the flame or combustion tines hereinbefore mentioned and then iin such heat to the n'iedium that the into these flame flues. Each regenei of the group K is provided with le right ports 37 and 38, the series 37 leading into the fines of the groups to the left of such regenerators, and the series of ports 38 leading into the flue; the groups G to the r' f ,x tors. The several T651: L are similarly provided with serie and right ports 39 and 4-0 which spectively lead into the groups a to the left of such regenci groups H of fines to the ri generators. The individual rcgen-eratr:rs or the groups M of each heating; s are Quill-- municably connected respectively lay port 4-1 with the individual flue the G- and the individual 19' groups N are similarly c nnected with dividual fines of the groups H by po 42. Vith this construction each inflow operating flame flue 17 communicates by duets with inflow operating regenerators of both series 25 and 26; and each outflow operat ing flue 17 also communicates with outflow regenerators of both series.

In the present embodiment of the invention, combustion is maintained in an entire group of heating fines of each heating wall 11, which group of fines extends fr in side to side of the battery. Consequently the regenerators aligned on opposite sides of the central partition 24 operate concurrently for flow in the same direction and in the same manner. The reversal in flow through the regenerators may thus be said to take place longitudinally of the oven battery, instead of transversely thereof, as has heretofore been a common practice in this art; and the reversal in flow through the flues is between alternatively disposed groups of fines. The reversal of the oven is effected at the end of an operating period determined by practice and by means of any preferred type of revcrs g; mechanism. The function of such rover l is as follows: the regenerators of both series and 26 that, prior to the reversal operated as inflow regenerators become outflow regenerators and the outflow operating regenerators become inflow operating;- 1f01lerators; the inflow operating groups of lines switch function with the alternately disposed downflow operating groups of flues of the same heating walls, and the supply of gas turned off from the previously burning lines and turned on into the mains of the previously downflow operating; fines.

Extending crosswise of the battery in e: ch pillar wall 13 and located beneath the heating wall 11 thereabove is a pair of sup ply channels 43 and These channels 43 and are for the purpose of supplying COlIG oven s to the several burning flame lines on each sine of the central par ition and, to accomplish this end the several channels d3 respectively communicate with the lines 1'?" of the groups G by means of ducts do, that 'roin such channels individually into road the bottoms of individual lines, and the seval channels which supply the several ties of the groups H are communicably concert-d ticrewith by means of similar ducts 4.6. Within the several ducts a5 and d6 are disposed ti a usual gas nozzles 47. The supply of colic oven to the respective channels 4.3 and is derived from coke oven gas mains of the usual type. Suitable means is provided for admitting or cutting off the supply of gas with respect to the channels and i l, it being understood that the gas supply is either concurrently maintained in the channels and shut off from the channels le the supply being reversed with respect to such channels at each reversal.

F or operating the battery alternatively with the use of a special generator gas, such as producer gas as the fuel, the several regencrators of the series 25, during tneir infiow period, may be optionally connected with a producer gas main, by mechanism such as is disclosed in the prior Letters lhztent of the United States of Joseph Becker, No. a, 322, dated. May 16, 1922, so tl at the producer gas may be directed into such of the rcp en-- craters 25 as are operating, for inflow and conveyed through these regencrators into burning flame flues 17. The operation of the retort oven or battery, when using; a special generator gas, such as ordinary producer gas as a fuel, constitutes, in eombination with the above described flue arrangement and system of How theretlu'ouggh, special feature of the invention, said operation being as follows: the supply of coke oven gas to the coke oven gas main and to all of the coke oven gas channels 4-3, out off. A supply of producer gas is permitted to flow into the alternate rogeueratm's 25, such as the regenerators of the group li. and passing through said regenerators preheated before being delivered into tn flame lines, such as the groups nr a the inflow of producer gas through the alternate regenerators of the group K waste gas rom the downl'low operating fines of the groups H is flowing out through the other regenerators L of the series 25, as well as (inf-lid through the groups N of rcgenerators of the series 26. In the groups M of the regencraters 26, inflow of air is maintained and passing upwardly thr l such regenerators is delivered by them inrividually into the burning flame lines to support the combustion of the producer gas that is delivered thereto by the gas regenerators ll. On reversal of the flow, the inflow operating regenerators become outflow operating regenerators and concurrently the outflow operating regenerators become inflow regenerators.

In operating the battery with coke oven gas, the supply of producer gas to the inflow operating regenerators of the series 25 is cut oil and air is permitted to flow into such regenerators in place of the producer gas. During coke oven gas operation, a supply of coke oven gas is maintained in the channels 43 or 4 1 which feed the upburning flues. The reversing mechanism is operated at each reversal to place all of the inflow operating regenerators in communication with the outer air and concurrently all of the outflow operating regenerators in communication with the exhaust.

Alternatively, during such coke oven gas operation, some of the regenerators, such as the regenerators of the series 25, may be employed for conveying to the flues a neutral gaseous diluent, such as return waste gas, to lengthen the flames in the flues, in the manner and for the purpose set forth in the said prior patent of Joseph Becker.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 8 to 10 inclusive, the flue construction and arrangement, as well as the system of flow therethrougl'i exactly corresponds to that hereinabove described and illustrated in Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive. The several regenerators ot the series 25 are connected with the flues and function in the same manner as the corresponding regenerators hereinbe't'ore described. The modified form of the invention, however, involves the following departure in the construction and arrangement of the other regenerators of the regenerative system. Between each pair of adjacent regenerators 25 is a pair of other regenerators 48, the two regenerators of each pair a8 being separated by a vertical gas tight supporting wall 49 extending parallel with the pillar walls 18. The several regenerators 49 extend inwardly from opposite sides of the battery to the central longitudinal partition 24; and are each constituted of the usual chambers, filled with eheckerwork 50 and provided with distrilr uting sole channels 51 underneath such checkerwork. The regenerators of the series 48 are operatively disposed into groups S and T, on each side of the aforesaid longitudinal partition 524i The several regener atom of the group S operate concurrently for inflow, While the several regenerators 0t the group T are operating concurrently for outflow the direction of flow being interchanged at each reversal of the batterybetween the groups of such regenerators. Each regenerator of the group S is communicably connected with the lines of the group Gr of the adjacent heating wall thereabove by ducts 52; similarly each regenerator of the group T is communicably conneeted with the flues of the groups H by ports 53, In the operation of the battery, the inflow operating regenerators, such as the regenerators of the group S convey air to the inflow operating flues, while the outflow operating regenerators, such as the group T convey waste gas from the outflow operating flues H. On reversal of the bat tery, the inflow operating regenerators S become outflow operating regenerators and the outflow operating regenerators T become inflow operating air regenerators. The modified regenerator constructions of Figs 8 to 10 inclusive thus operates substantially in the manner hereinbefore described.

The invention as hereinabove set forth is embodied in a particular form of construction but may be variously embodied within the scope of the claims hereinafter made.

I claim:

I. In a coking retort oven, in combination: a plurality of coking chambers; heating walls contiguous to such coking chambers and respectively constituted of vertical combustion flues dlsposed into two groups, the fines of one group alternating with the flues of the other and one group of such flues operating for inflow while the other group operates for outflow; and a regenerative system embodying two series of regenerators, one series of such regenerators being communicably connected with groups of such flues and the other series of regenerators being individual to and communicably connected with individual flues, the two series of regenerators being jointly operable for conveying air to the fines or separately operable for conveying to the said flues air and an extraneously derived gas; substantially as specified.

2. In a coking retort oven, in combination: a plurality of coking chambers; heating walls contiguous to such coking chambers and respectively constituted oi vertical combustion flues disposed into two groups, the flues of one group alternating with the flues of the other and one group of such flues operating for inflow while the other group operates for outflow; means, independent of the regenerative system, for supplying fuel to said flues; and a regenerative system embodying two series of regenerators, one series of such regenerators being communicably connected with groups of such flues and the other series of regenerators being individual to and communicably con- IUU nected with individual flues, the two series of regenerators being jointly operable for conveying air to the flues; substantially as specified.

3. In a coking retort oven, in combination: a plurality of coking chambers; heating walls contiguous to such coking chambers and respectively constituted of vertical combustion flues disposed into two groups, the fines of one group alternating with the lines of the other and one group of such flues operating for inflow while the other grouo operates for outflow; and a regenerative system embodying two series regcnerators, one series of such regenerators being communicably connected with groups of such fines and the other series of regenerators being individual to and communicably connected with individual fines, the two series of regenerators being separately operable for conveying to the flues air and an on traneously derived gas; and means for supplying such extraneously derived gas to the gas regenerators; substantially as specified.

4:. In a coking retort oven, in combination: a plurality of coking chambers; heating walls contiguous to such coking chambers and respectively constituted of vertical combustion flues disposed into two groups, the flues of one group of such. flues operating for inflow while the other group operates for outflow; and a regenerative system embod ing two series of regenerators, one series of such regenerators being communicably connected with groups of such flues and the other series of regenerators being individual to and communicably connected with individual fines; substantially as specified.

In a coking retort oven, in combination: a plurality of coking chambers; heating walls contiguous to such coking chambers and respectively constituted of vertical combustion flues disposed into two groups, the fines of one group alternating with the fines of the other and one group of such flues operating for inflow while the other group operates for outflow; moans tor supplying directly to said flues an alternative fuel gas; and a regenerative system embodying regenerators communicably connected with said lines by upwardly director ducts substantially individual to the fines, said. regenerators being jointly operable for conveying air to the flues and separately operable for conveying to the said flues air and an extraneously derived gas, the gas-regenerator ducts and the air-regenerator ducts for each heatingwall having substantially the same proportions and locations relative to those for the several. other heating-walls to promote substantial. equality between the heating-walls as tofiow between them and the regenerators respectively serving them; substantially as specified.

G. In a coking retort oven, in combination: a plurality of coking chambers; heating walls contiguous to such coking chambers and respectively constituted of vertical combustion flues disposed into two groups, the flues of one group alternating with the tines oi the other and one group of such flues operating for inflow while the other group operates for outflow; and a regenerative system embodying regenerators communicably connected with said fiues andv separately operable for conveying to the said fiues air and an extraneously derived gas certain of said regenerators lying below the heating walls and being connected to the flues thereof by substantially vertical ducts extending in straight unbroken lines through the bottoms of said flues; substantially as specified.

7. In a coking retort oven, in combination: a plurality of coking chambers; heat ing walls contiguous to such coking chamers and respectively constituted of inflow and outflow vertical combustion flues, the inflow fines alternating with the outflow fiues of each heating wall and being communicably connected individually with individual outflow flues; means for supplying directly to said fines an alternative fuel gas; and a regenerative system embodying two series of regenerators, one series of such regenerators being communieably connected with groups of such fines and the other series of regenerators being individual to and communicably connected with individual flues, the two series of regenerators, when operating for inflow, being jointly operable for conveying air to the fines or separately operable for conveying to the said flues air and an entraneously derived gas; substantially as specified.

8. In a coking retort oven, in combination: a plurality of coking chambers; heating walls contiguous to such coking chambers and respectively constituted of inflow and outflow vertical combustion flues, the inflow fines alternating with the outflow lines of each heating wall and being communicably connected individually with individual outflow flues; and a regenerative system embodying two series of regenerators, one series of such regenerators being communicably connected with groups of such flues and the other series of regenerators being individual to and communicably connected with individual flues, the two series of regenerators being separately operable for conveying to the said fiues air and an extraneously derived gas; substantially as specified.

9. In a coking retort oven, in combination: a plurality of coking chambers; heating walls contiguous to such coking chambers and respectively constituted oi: inflow and outflow vertical combustion lines, the

(ill

inflow lines of each heating wall alternating with the outflow lines and being communicably connected individually with individual outflow dues; means comprising a pair of: parallel. horizontal ducts for supplying directly to said lilies an alternative fuel gas; combined with a regenerative system embodying regenerators communicably connected with said lines by ducts, the ducts oil. certain oi said rcgenerators lying between said parallel ducts, the regenerators, when operating for inllow, being jointly operable for conveying air to the lines or separately operable for conveying to the said liues air and an extraneously derived gas; substantially as specified.

10. in a coking retort oven, in combination: a plurality oi coking chambers; heating walls contiguous to such coking chambers and respectively constituted of inflow and outflow vertical combustion flues, the inllow lilies t each heating wall alternating with the outflow lines and being communicably connected individually with individual outliow hues; means comprising a pair of parallel horizontal ducts for supplying directly to said :liues an. alternative fuel gas; cl'unbined with a regenerative system cm bodying regenerators communicably con nected with said flucs certain of said regenerators lyinbelow the heating walls and being conne d to the dues thereof by sub stantially vertical ducts extending in straight unbroken lines through the bottoms of said lines and between said parallel ducts, the regcnerators being separately operable for conveying to the said Hues air and an extraneously derived gas; substantially as specified.

11. A coke oven provided with coking chambers, heating walls contiguous to such :oking chambers and respectively constituted of inflow and outflow vertical combustion llues, the inflow Hues alternating with the outflow tlues and the outflow :tlues receiv i" the How from the initlow fines, and fuel g and air regcnerators arranged below and communicating, when operating for inflow, with the inllow fiues oi said heating walls by upwardly directed ducts substantially indivil'lual to the fines, the gas re- 'enerator ducts and the air-regenerator ducts tor each heating-wall having substantially the same proportions and locations relative to those for the several other heating-walls to promote substantial equal ity between the heating-walls as to flow between them and the regenerators respectively serving them; substantially as specified.

12. A coke oven provided with coking chambers, heating walls contiguous to such coking chambers and respectively constituted of a row of vertical combustion flues communicably connected in pairs, combined with crosswise regencrators arranged below and connnunicating with the tlues of said heating walls by upwardly directed ducts substantially individual to the fines, some of the regencrators, during the inflow period, operating to convey to said fiues an extraneousiy derived gas, such as pro ducer gas, and some to convey air, the gas-regenerator ducts and the air-regenerator ducts for each heating-wall having substantially the same proportions and locations relative to those for the several other heatingwvalls to promote substantial equality between the heating-walls as to flow between them and the regenerators respectively serving them; substantially as specined.

18. In a coking retort oven, in combination: a plurality of coking chambers; heating walls contiguous to such coking chambers and respectively constituted of combustion Hues disposed into two groups, the fines of one group alternating with the fines of the other and those of one group operating ilor inflow while those of the other group opcrate for outflow; and a regenerative system embodying two series of regenerators communicably connected with said groups, at least one series of regenerators comprising individual regenerator units communicably connected with individual flues, respectively; substantially as specified.

it. In a coking retort oven, in combination: a plurality of coking chambers; heating walls contiguous to such coking chambers and respectively constituted of combustion lines disposed into two groups, the lines of one group operating for inflow while those of the other group operate for outliow; and a regenerative system embodying two series of regenerators, the regenerators oi": one series lying respectively beneath the respective coking chambers and being communicably connected respectively with a group of such lines in each adjacent heating wall and the regenerators of the other series lying respectively beneath the respective heating walls each such regenerator being constituted of individual. regencrater units respectively communicably' connected with the individual fines of the correspo nding heating wall; substantially as specined.

15. In the combination defined in claim l l, a pair of sole channels extending substantially parallel to each series of individual regenerators and respectively connected alternately to alternate individual regenerators; substantially as specified.

16. In a coke oven in combination; a plurality of coking chambers; flued heating ails contiguous to such coking chambers;

tively and the regenerators of the other series each comprising a regenerator chamber extending parallel to the first series and 10 adapted to convey producer gas or Waste gas; substantially as specified.

JOSEPH VAN ACKEREN. 

